Heading into the five-game gauntlet, the Spurs (35-14) couldn’t have envisioned a sweep. Overall, the Spurs have won nine of their last 10, and 13 of their last 15 on the road.

“This is as deep as I’ve ever had a team here,” said Duncan, in his 15th season, “and we’re using everybody possible.”

Wednesday, the Spurs got key first-half contributions from players who, either by age or inactivity, were less affected by the compressed schedule.

Leonard was a spark plug, offering active minutes on both ends. Splitter had seven points and six rebounds in the first half. Even backup point guard Patrick Mills, playing his second game since joining the team, got in the act with seven points in six minutes.

In the first quarter, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich deployed 11 players. Nine of them scored.

“I don’t think we’d be hanging in like we are now last year, with this kind of schedule,” Popovich said. “We didn’t have this kind of depth.”

Behind 28 points from Isaiah Thomas and 25 from DeMarcus Cousins, the Kings (17-33) hung around, though they never led. Each time Sacramento would sneak within striking distance, the Spurs had an answer.

After a Thomas 3-pointer brought Sacramento within one again midway through the fourth, Gary Neal found Parker for a layup. That sparked a 15-6 run that put the Spurs ahead by 10 with 2:18 to go.